Our Story

NorthBEAT (Barriers to Early Assessment and Treatment) is a collaborative of researchers and service providers across Northern Ontario with an interest in improving the system of care for youth with psychosis.

Since 2012, NorthBEAT has continued to grow in scope and size.

The NorthBEAT Project (2012-15) was a descriptive research project, funded by the Sick Kids Foundation in partnership with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), that explored the service needs of adolescents who experience psychosis in Northern Ontario.

In 2016, NorthBEAT expanded its scope to address barriers to early psychosis intervention and improve Early Psychosis Intervention (EPI) services.

In 2017, the Ontario Trillium Foundation awarded NorthBEAT a Youth Opportunities Fund grant to support a strategic collaborative. This diverse collaborative will improve coordination of care, build capacity to detect psychosis symptoms early, and enhance access to appropriate services for youth with psychosis who live in Northwestern Ontario.